Machine for unloading cars.



5 BESSIE-SHEET 1.

PATENTED FEB. 14, 1905.

' J. G. HELMCHEN. MAQHINB FOR UNLOADING GABS. APPLIOATION FILED JUNE 10. 1904.

No. 782,337. I PATENTBD FEB. 14, 1905. Y

J. G. HELMGHEN.

MACHINE FOR UNLOADING CARS.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 10. 1904.

q! Irma/7707 G JOYWCZQ'Z No 782,337. PATENTED mas-14; 1905.

J. G. HELMGHENL MACHINE FOR UNLOADING CARS.

APPLIOATION FILED JUNE 10, 1904. v

5 SHEETSSHEBT s'.

' No. 782,337. PATENTED FEB. 14, 1905.

'J. G. HELMGHEN.

MACHINE FOR UNLOADING CARS.

APPLICATION IILEI) Jun 10. 1904.

a sums-sum- 4.

a2 48 A91? 7 I 45 4? J 6145mm No. 782,337. I PATENTED FEB. 14, 1905.. J. G. 'HELMGHEN'.

MACHINE FOR UNLOADING (JARS.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 10. 1904.

6 SHEETS-SHEET 5.

. UNITED STATES Patented February 14', 1905.

JOHN GOTTLIEB HELMCHEN, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

MACHINE FOR UNLOADING CARS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 782,337, dated February 14, 1905.

. Application filed June 10,1904. Serial No. 211,897.

To a whom it may con/earn:

Be it known that 1, JOHN GOTTLIEB HELM- CHEN, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Chicago, county of Cook, and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Machinesofor Unloading Cars, of which the following is a specification and which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings, forming a part thereof.

The invention relates to a machine for unloading small coal, fine ore, or like material,

and is adapted particularly to raise such material over the sides of open-top cars, such as gondola cars, in which it is contained and deposit it on the ground.

The object of the invention is to provide for rapidly unloading cars when a number are to .be unloaded in about the same place by such apparatus as shall be of simple constructionand light enough to be shifted from one car to another by any simple hoisting device, such as block and tackle, as is commonly at hand in such places. These objects are attained in the mechanism hereinafter described and which is illustrated in the accompanying drawings,

; in which Figure 1 is a detail side elevation of a car with my improved unloader mounted thereon, a portion of the sides of the car being broken away, so as to show such parts of the machine as extend into its body.

Fig. 2 is a plan of the machine. Fig. 3 is adetail end elevation of a car and a completeend elevation of the machine. Fig. 4 is a detail elevation showing the end opposite to that shown in Fig. 3. Figs. 5, 6, 7, 8, and 9 relate to details, and Fig. 10 is a detail section on the line 10 10 of Fig. 1.

When in use,the machine is supported upon the sides of the car which it is to unload. Broadly, its construction comprises a wheel so mounted that it may be moved to reach any part of the interior of the car and carrying a plurality of blades or shovels 16, which are designed to scoop the material from the car during the lower arc of their path as the wheel revolves and to eject it laterally when the summit of their path is reached. This lateral ejection is supplemented by means of a belt conveyer 17 when required.

To provide for the movement of the shovelwheel so that it may be made to reach any part of the car, it is journaled in a jib-frame (denoted generally by which is so mounted as to swing in a vertical plane and is supported by a cross-carriage composed of trucks 18 and 19, joined by the side sills 20 and 21, and which in turn is supported upon a longitudinally-movable carriage composed of four two-wheeled trucks joined by the side rails 26 and 27 and the end rails 28 and 29, upon which the truck-wheels of the cross-carriage rest.

A pair of T-rails 31 and 32, one for each side, of light section and approximately equal in length to the car are secured to and above of brackets composed of the clamp part 34, the chair 33, and asleeve 37. The clamp part 34, Fig. 3, is made of T-iron and is designed to fit over the edge of the car and to be secured thereto by means of a set-screw 36,asecond setscrew, 38, providing for adjustment to an upright position in case the side of the car is bowed out, as shown in Fig. 8. Upon the sole-plate of the chair 33 the rail 31 or 32 rests and is secured thereto by means of a split collar or sleeve 37 embracing the sole-plate and provided with a projecting lip which overlaps the flange of the T-rail and is firmly secured to it by means of a set-screw 39. The stem of the bracket 33 is slotted, as shown in Fig. 1, so that it embraces the web of the clamp 34: and may be secured at any desired height by means of the setscrew.and washer 4:0. The sole-plate of the bracket 33 extends in both directions from the stem somewhat in the form of a T in order to allow considerable adjustment as to the position of the rail resting thereon. p

The truck-wheels of the longitudinally-movable carriage rest upon the T-rails 31 and 32.

the sides of the car by means of a plurality They are journaled in the truck-castings 22 a united above them. The upper face of each is slotted to receive the web and flange of the cross-rails 28 29, Fig. 1, this slot being extended, as shown at 41, and a bolt 42 passed longitudinally through the casting to form a clamp of the upper portion of the casting for firmly gripping the cross-rail at any desired point, depending on the width of the car to be unloaded. The truck-castings are also joined in pairs by the side rails 26 and 27, shown as commercial rolled channel-bars. They are riveted adjacent their ends to the inner faces of the truck-castings, that onone side, 26, being bent, Fig. 1, so that a considerable portion of its length is lower than its ends to provide clearance for other parts of the machine. The outer check-plates of the truck-castings at one end, 23 and 24, have extensions 43 to provide bearings for a shaft 44, extending entirely across the machine and carrying near each end a pinion 45 46, which engage racks 47 and 48, secured to the webs of the T-rails 31 and 32 and extending the entire length of these rails.

The body of the cross-carriage consists in a rectangular frame of channel-bars comprising the side sills 20 and 21 and the end sills 49 and 50. The truck 18, supporting one end of this rectangular frame, comprises a bolster made up of two parallel lengths of channel-bars 51 and 52 of deep section, embracing the two truck-wheels 53 and 54. The side sills rest upon this bolster and are secured to it by rivets. The truck 19, supporting the opposite end of this rectangular frame, consists of the brackgts 56 and 57, secured to and extending outwardly from the side sills 20 and 21 and embracing the truck-wheels 58 and 59 and in which these truck-wheels are journaled. The side sills 20 and 21 are bent so as to incline from the higher end supported on the truck 18 to the level of these brackets supporting the opposite end. One of the sills 20 is also formed so that a portion of its length is let down to clear other parts.

The shaft 61, extending parallel to the side sill 21 the entire length of the cross-carriage, is journaled at one end in the outer channelbar 52 of the truck-bolster and near its opposite end in a bearing secured to the under side of the bracket 57. Mounted upon this shaft and keyed thereto, one near each end, are pinions 62 and .63, each of which engages a gear-rack 64 and 65, secured to the web of the cross-rails 28 and 29, respectively. To provide room for the pinions 62 and 63in their proper position on the shaft, the channel-bar 52 of the truck-bolster is offset, as shown at 66, and the bracket 57 is made wider than its counterpart 56.

A shaft 67, which will be referred to hereinafter as the main driving-shaft of the machine, is mounted in bearings 68 and 69, secured to the side sills 20 and 21, respectively, adjacent to the higher end of the carriage.

The swinging frame or jib 30 is preferably formed of channel-bars in the shape of an open rectangle and is pivoted near its open end on the shaft 67 and has its free end supported by a pair of sprocket-chains 70, passing over the sprocket-wheels 71 on the shaft 72, which is journaled in uprights 73 and 74, rising from the side sills 20 and 21. By means of a handwheel 75, keyed on the shaft 7 2, the free end of the jib-frame 30 may be raised and lowered. A ratchet 76 on the end of the shaft 72, engaged by a pawl 77, pivoted in the upright 73, provides for supporting the jib-frame at any desired height. Small weights 78 are attached to the free ends of the sprocket-chains 7 O to insure their clinging to the sprocket-wheels over which they pass.

Bearings 79 79 for supporting the axle 80 of the shovel-wheel 15 are bolted to the side rails of the jib-frame 30. The shovel-wheel 15 is made up of the split hub 81, mounted on the axle 80, from which extend the arms 82, made, preferably, of tubing, so that rigidity is obtained without great weight. A shovel or scoop 16 is attached to each of the arms 82 by means of straps 83 passing over the arm and riveted into the back of the scoop, which is formed of. sheet metal and. so placed as to be in advance of the arm to which it is attached as the wheel revolves. Each shovel or scoop is geometrically a hollow figure having seven sides, five of which are entirely closed. The side 84, which faces forwardly as the wheel revolves, is open over a part of its area, forming the intake-opening of the scoop. The side 85, which is the lowest face of the scoop when the latter is at its highest point during the revolution of the wheel, is open, forming a discharge-aperture. The side 86 is inclined toward the discharge-aperture, so that the entire contents will fall from the scoop when the latter is upright. A retaining-plate 87, preferably a casting in one piece with a projection 88 from its inner face, is secured, as by rivets, from this projection to one of the bars of the jib-frame 30. In shape this retaining-plate is a segment of a truncated cone and conforms to thepath of the open side of the scoops 16, which pass close to it as they revolve and are closed thereby until the desired point is reached for the discharge of their contents.

An internal gear 89 is secured to the arms 82 of the shovel-wheel by means of straps 90, bolted in the gear-ring and encircling the arms. A pinion 91 for driving the shovelwheel meshes with this internal gear 89 and is keyed on a counter-shaft 92, having bearings 93 secured to one of the side bars of the jibframe 30, and a brace 94, formed, preferably, of channel-iron, similar to that of the side rail and secured thereto by means of rivets 95., The counter-shaft 92 is driven by means of the sprocket chain 96, passing over a sprocket-w heel 97 on the driving-shaft 67,and

a sprocket-wheel 98, keyed on the countershaft 92 between the sidebar and the brace 94.

A frame 99, appearing in elevation as an inverted A, is supported on the shovel-wheel axle 80, it being drilledout at its apex to receive the axle. A pair of rollers 100 are pivoted to lugs projecting from the sides of this frame and are provided to retain the frame in an upright position between the guide-rails 101. These guide-rails are preferably of T- section. They are secured at their lower ends to the side sill 20 of the cross-carriage and joined at the top by the tie-bar 107. They are secured against lateral displacement by the eyebars 153, connecting their upper ends with the outer ends of the stays 154, which are preferably made of short lengths of channel-bars similar to that used for the side sills and project outwardly from the side sill 21. Uprights 155, supported on the side sill 21,

serve to guide the eyebars 153 clear of the revolving shovels 16. Turnbuckles 156 are employed on the eyebars 153 for the purpose of truingup the guide-rails 101. The flanges of these guide-rails 101 form tracks for the guide-rollers 100, and they are so curved as to retain the frame 99 vertical whatever position it may occupy due to the raising or lowering of the jib-frame 30.

The function of the frame 99 is to support a belt conveyer, denoted generally 17 (The machine is illustrated without this conveyer attached in Figs. 1 and 2.) To this end the frame is provided with grooves 102in its upper edges, in which the ends of a rod 103, extending across the upper end of the conveyer, may rest. The conveyer is actuated by means of a rope-drive from asheave 104'on the .end of the driving-shaft 67, and to give the rightangle turn to the driving-rope necessary for it to reach the outer end of the conveyer two guide-sheaves 105 106 are attached to lugs projecting from the corner of the frame 99. In order that these guide-sheaves may follow the change in the angle of the driving-rope as the conveyer is raised or lowered, they have a rotatable or swiveled connection with the lugs on the frame 99.

The frame of the conveyer 17 consists of a pair of channel-bars 108 109, joined at each end by a tie-rod 103 and 110, which serve as axles for the pulleys 111 and 112, respectively, over which a continuous belt 113, forming the table of the conveyer, is passed. A plurality of rollers 114, journaled at each end in an upright 115, secured to the channel-bars forming the frame of the conveyer, assist in supporting the load of material carried by the belt, and a pair of side boards 116 extend one down each edge'of the belt for the entire length of the conveyer and are supported by the extension 117 of as many of the uprights 115 as maybe found advisable. To provide for tightening the conveyer-belt 113, the

length between the axles 103 and 110 is made adjustable by mounting the axle 110 in a slide 118, Fig. 7, working in a slot 119 inthechannels 108 109. By means of a nut 120 on a screw extending from the slide 118 through the endof the channel the axle may be moved longitudinally as to the conveyer, thus changing the tension of the belt 113.

The conveyer-belt 113 is driven from the outer end. For this purpose a pulley 112 is fixed to the axle 110, and a sheave 121 is keyed to a projecting end of this axle. Over this sheave the driving-rope 122 from the sheave 104 on the main driving-shaft is passed. A

rope-tightening device is used on the return side of the driving-rope, which consists of the guide-pulleys 123 124, rotatably secu red to the channel 108, and the pendent pulley 125, from which hangs the weight 126. This device is essential so that the driving-rope shall auto-. matically adjust itself in length as the jibframe is raised tarnd lowered, carrying with it the inner end of the conveyer. The outer end of the conveyer is supported from the tie-rod 107 by a tackle 127, hooked into the yoke 128, joining the side boards 116. The inner end of the conveyer-frame being supported by the jib 30 will oscillate with it. The frame 99, to

whichthe conveyer-frame is attached, being maintained in an upright position, as it rises and falls by the guides 101 the conveyer is prevented from tilting laterally, as it naturally would, as the jib moves up and down around its pivot.

Power may be supplied to the driving-shaft 67 in any suitable manner. I have illustrated the shaft as bent .to form a crank about midway of its length, to which the connecting-rod 130 of an upright steamengine 131 is attached. For supporting the motor I have shown several short lengths of channel-iron 132, supported by the truck-bolster 51 and 52, andto which the motor is bolted, as at133. I have shown the movement of the carriage over the area of the car to be operative only by hand, though obviously this might be obtained with power.

For obtaining the longitudinal movement of the carriage I provide a hand-wheel 134, fixed on the end of a shaft 135, journaled in a pair of uprights 136 137 ,supported from an extension of the side sill 20 of the cross-carriage, and the short length of the channel iron 138 parallel thereto and secured to the end rail 50 of the cross-carriage. A sprocketchain 139 is passed over a small sprocketwheel 140, fixed to the shaft 135 between the uprights 136 and 137, and a largersprocketwheel 141 on the shaft 44. In order that this device may be operative at any position of the cross-carriage, I square the shaft 44 and I sprocket-wheel having, however, longitudinal movement on the shaft, such movement being guided by the side bearings 142, secured to the side sill 20 and its counterpart 138.

The mechanism for driving the shaft 61, and thereby producing the cross-travel of the carriage, is most clearly illustrated in Fig. 4. It comprises a short shaft 143, journaled near its center in a standard 146, supported upon the end sill 50 of the cross-carriage, a sprocketwheel 144 and hand-wheel 145, fixed upon this shaft, and a larger sprocket-wheel 147, fixed upon the end of the shaft 61, and a sprocketchain 148, connecting the sprocket-wheels 144 and 147.

The operation of the machine 'is as follows: The side rails 31 and 32 are thrown upon the car to be unloaded and clamped to its sides by means of the brackets 33, and the machine (which when not in use will ordinarily be supported over the track from which cars are to be unloaded by suitable tackle hooked into the eyes 149) is lowered upon the car so that the truck-wheels of the longitudinally-movable carriage rest upon the rails 31 and 32 and the pinions 45 and 46 come into engagement with the racks 47 and 48, forming a part of these rails. By operating the hand-wheel the jib-frame is raised or lowered so that when the shovel-wheel is revolved the lower edges 150 of the scoops shall come just below the surface of the material in the car. Power is supplied as by means of a flexible steamhose attached to the steam-intake of the engine 151, and the shovelwheel is revolved to the left as viewed in Fig. 1 at a speed of eight or ten revolutions per minute, each scoop raising a few pounds of the material as it revolves and depositing it as it passes beyond the end of the retaining-plate 87 onto the conveyerbelt 113, the upper side of which travels outward at a speed preferably-greater than that at which the shovels travel, carrying the material out over the side of the car. By operating the hand -wheels 134, 145, and 75 the scoops will be'made to reach the material in all parts of the car except a small amount at the bottom adjacent each end, which it will be necessary for an attendant to transfer, when the car has been nearly emptied, to a place where it may be reached by the scoops.

It will be seen that the conveyer 17 may be readily detached, and I may operate without it in some instances, especially at the beginning of the operation of unloading a car, relying upon the inclined bottoms of the scoops to eject the material from the car when the car riage is near the side thereof.

1 claim as my invention- 1. In a machine of the kind described, in

combination, a traveling carriage, a super carriage movable transversely thereupon, a bucket-carrying wheel mounted on the supercarriage, and means for rotating the wheel.

2. In a machine of the kind described, in combination, a traveling carriage, a supercarriage movable transversely thereupon, a vertically-swinging jib carried by the supercarriage, a bucket-carrying wheel mounted on the jib, and means for rotating the wheel.

3. In a machine of the kind described, in combination, a track, means for securing the rails of the track to the body of a railway-car, a traveling carriage running on the track, a a supercarriage movable transversely thereupon, a bucket carrying wheel mounted on the supercarriage, and means for rotating the wheel.

4. In a machine of the kind described, in combination, a pair of rails, a gear-rack secured to one of the rails, means for securing the rails to the body of a car, a carriage running on the rails, a pinion mounted on the carriage and engaging the rack, means for driving the pinion, a supercarriage movable transversely thereupon, a bucket-carrying wheel mounted on the supercarriage, and means for rotating the wheel.

5. In a machine of the kind described, in combination, a vertically swinging jib, a bucket-carrying wheel carried by the jib, a frame swiveled on the axle of the wheel, a conveyer supported on the frame, and means for preventing the lateral tilting of the frame.

6. In a machine of the kind described, in combination, a vertically swinging jib, a bucket-carrying wheel carried by the jib, a frame swiveled on the axle of the wheel, an inclined guideway for engaging and preventing lateral movement of the frame, and a conveyer leading from the wheel and supported by the frame.

7. In a machine of the kind described, in combination, a track, means for securing the track on the body of a railway-car, a gearrack secured to a rail of the track, a carriage running on the track, a pinion mounted on the carriage and engaging the rack, a powershaft driving the pinion, a track mounted transversely on the carriage, a gear-rack secured to a rail of such track, a supercarriage mounted on the last-named track, a pinion mounted on the supercarriage and engaging the rack of itstrack, a power-shaft for driving the last-named pinion, and a bucket-carrying wheel mounted on the supercarriage.

8. In a machine of the kind described, in combination, a track, means for securing the track on the body of a railway-car, a gearrack secured to a rail of the track, a carriage running on the track, a pinion mounted on the carriage and engaging the rack, a shaft driving the pinion, a track mounted transversely on the-carriage, a gear-rack secured to a rail of such track, a supercarriage mounted on the last-named track, a pinion mounted on the supercarriage and engaging the rack of its track, a shaft for driving the last-named IOf pinion, a vertically-swinging jib mounted on the supercarriage, and a bucket carrying wheel carried by the jib.

9. In a machine of the kind described, in combination, a Wheel, a bucket carried by the wheel and having an intake-opening in its forward face, a lateral discharge-opening adjacent the center of the Wheel and being oblique to the plane of the wheel, and a fixed retaining-plate covering the discharge-opening durl 0 ing the ascent of the bucket.

JOHN GOTTLIEB HELMCHEN.

Witnesses: v

CHARLES B. GiLLsoN, LOUIS K. GrLLsoN. 

